Police watchdog signs agreements with 14 forces

Aug 14 2012

B.C.'s new police watchdog has signed agreements with police forces across the province.

The memorandum of understanding involves the Indepen-dent Investigations Office, the RCMP, 11 municipal police departments, the Transit Police and one First Nations police force.

The agreement sets out details of how the office will conduct investigations when police offi-cers are involved in a death or serious injury, replacing the current system of police investigating such incidents.

Office director Richard Rosenthal says the agreement also includes the input of police union representatives, police boards and civil liberty and advocacy organizations.

He says the agreements will give his civilian office the tools it needs to improve public confidence when investigations are conducted into serious police related incidents.